In fact, they are as American as apple pie or Coca-Cola. But a closer look reveals that superheroes like Magneto, Batwoman or Doctor Manhattan have some very Jewish characteristics. “No wonder,” Frederic Mossal confirms. Because many of its creators were Jews, says Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Intellectual History at the University of Jewish Studies (HfJS) in Heidelberg. “Like Joe Shuster, the inventor of Superman, they came from families who had just immigrated to the United States.”

So they had to first gain a foothold in their new home and thus were in a certain way still in a social external role, which must always be expressed in their painted stories.

“It happened sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously,” the acknowledged comedy fan explains. It refers to Stan “The Man” Lee, an ancestor of the superhero genre, who worked with Marvel with Jack Kirby, born Jacob Kurtzberg. Incredible HulkAnd the Iron Man or ox And the X-Men Create a world full of characters. “When asked how many Jews are in his stories, he replied to me that he had never thought of it.”

letters With that I was in the middle of the online lecture topic “Jewish Superheroes: Inside.” Between Pop Culture and Identity Politics”, which gave the green light to the new digital collaboration project “Science at Home / Mada BA-BAYIT” of the Education Department of the Central Council of Jews.

In this way, one does not want to let the thread of community members rip in the fifteenth month of the epidemic. “Instead, intellectual discourses must continue or even make them possible in the first place,” Sabina Donath, head of education, says in short.

With this series, the education department wants to maintain contact.

Barbara Troup, a member of the Presidium of the Central Council, hopes that the virtual presentation will provide new options to improve communication among each other. Exploring Jewish popular culture is an excellent introduction to this – not least because the genre spans generations and, despite modern forms of expression, is linked to traditional traditions that may not always be visible at first glance. “But Moshe Rapinoe can also be considered a superhero if you remember how he divided the Red Sea at that time.”

The X-Men in particular provides plenty of material for discussion. “They are mutants whose superpowers are due to genetic mutations,” says Frederic Mosal. “On the one hand, they should be told where their power actually comes from. On the other hand, these superpowers also classify the X-Men as strangers and strangers, whom society may sometimes fear. However, they never tire of saving the world over and over again.”

Sometimes you get the impression that you are facing imitation because of superheroes that are full of stereotypes. “But these cliches are regularly broken down.” This is exactly what makes it exciting and complex. In addition, comics capture one’s impotence and overcome it at the same time.

Superman and Captain America gave the Nazis a cure as early as the 1940s. And they provided something like a novel template The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay Written by Michael Chabon, who also negotiates some kind of empowerment against absolute evil.

a picnic The genesis of the characters is great, too. It took about 40 years for Benjamin Grimm of the Fantastic Four, better known as “The Thing,” to come out as a Jew after Lee and Kirby created him. “Are you ashamed of being a Jew?” He was asked in a 2002 story by Mr. Sheckerberg, an antique shop owner in his childhood neighborhood. “People just see me as a monster,” is the answer Sheckerberg asks again and gives The Thing a Magen David.

“Also, the Jew is not consistent in actions,” says Mosal. “It appears sporadically, sometimes only every few years.” Even a difficult subject like the Holocaust can then be given space in the comics.

In the comics, his own impotence is addressed and at the same time overcome.

One of the most fascinating characters for an expert in this context is Magneto, because he has undergone many changes over the decades, from villain to hero and finally to heroes. “This points to the potential of the superhero genre, which always reflects social developments at the same time.” The topic of diversity is currently very much in vogue. “But sometimes that can be too much to ask for.”

A current German-Jewish superhero is Mosal. “Dima’s character in Masel Tov Cocktail definitely falls into this category.” The protagonist has shown that Jews can also do anything other than be funny or perhaps use the victim’s narrative. “You can defend yourself, too.”

The series “Science at Home / Mada Byte” continued on 2 June with a lecture by Johannes Beck on the topic “Minorities in Israel”. Pagan life in the Jewish state “that too أيض Online Available.